Today we’d like to introduce you to Chris Quinn.
Hi Chris, so excited to have you on the platform. So before we get into questions about your work-life, maybe you can bring our readers up to speed on your story and how you got to where you are today?
I worked at a medium sized ad agency that was owned and mismanaged by family and friends. It is no longer in business as it closed a shortly after I left. That firm was obsessed with charging agency commissions, promoting themselves, and enrolling clients in expensive “Brand ID Packages” (whatever that means). Their sole focus was themselves and not their clients. They would literally assign a value they wanted from a client pitch and then attempt to apply enough services to justify that value. It was there I discovered all the wrong things to do. Completely overcome with frustration and bad business practices, I decided to start moonlighting some of my design and marketing skills for extra income and found out that was far more profitable than my meager salary. When I was discovered I was immediately fired. Since then I have never looked back, servicing clients in every US state and in 33 countries worldwide. I’ve had to install plugins for my keyboard in order to type in other languages, most notably Arabic. I should have left far sooner. I did learn a lot there though, most importantly, what not to do and it is still something I remember daily for Quinnconcepts. I try to consistently ADD value as revenue is a byproduct of that mantra, and that has lead me to long lasting business relationships where my clients think I am a steal.
I’m sure it wasn’t obstacle-free, but would you say the journey has been fairly smooth so far?
Started rather smooth. I was able to double my revenue each of my first four years in business. Once I became an established brand, with employees, assets, and strategies, I quickly got a crash course in business ownership and liability. As I scaled, I started working with larger clientele and that came with plenty of headaches, bad reviews, and even a court case which I lost. I am thankful for that lesson; as it taught me the cardinal rule of entrepreneurship and how to handle controversy. Sad to say, but the true bottom line of what makes all of us human, is the ability and affinity to always try to do wrong by one another. This has taught me a few key things: never put it in writing, always take responsibility, always assume blame and always look in the mirror. If you can keep your head down and become accustomed to rejection and unfair practices, then they never can deter you from progress. I use to hate when the finger was pointed at me. Everyone wants to blame the marketing guy when things get slow. I learned to embrace that blame and keep moving. Big headaches became small and I stopped trying to be right all the time. Learn how to be wrong, and move onto the next step. Stay in motion. That is what most clients want to hear. Sometimes they just want you to admit it was your fault and that can preserve the relationship. Who cares if it is the truth. I hate when people say business isn’t personal. It is the most personal thing I do.
As you know, we’re big fans of you and your work. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about what you do?
My design style is busy. My office is cluttered. My truck is a mess. My ADHD is rampant. Make no mistake about it. Check out my website and you will see I throw a lot at my clients. I like to showcase what CAN be done and see what they consider to be essential. I also try to make sure I have recommendations on things I see that I did not create. It is the sole responsibility of the designer to raise his/her hand and say “I just don’t like that” and then offer recommendations. I do not care what design principles say, or what looks off. The eyeball is the true test. The color you chose may be the correct shade, the text may be aligned, the image may be perfect… but what does your eyeball say? The eyes never lie. I like to stay on the creative side. A graphic artist’s true skill is being able to merge a client’s idea into something cohesive, easy to follow, and awesome to the eye. Graphic design is all smoke and mirrors. If some knew how simple it really it to design, more would do it. The catch is not the onboarding but more of whether you have the eye for it. I would consider complex layouts like folded brochures and magazines to be a core competency of ours. A key strength for a designer working for a highly specialized client, is that we do not work in their world, so as a lay-person we have a strategic marketing advantage. If it does not make sense to the me, it surely won’t for your customers either.
What does success mean to you?
If you inherited millions of dollars, but would still do the same job you had anyway… you are rich. I get to work from home. I get to coach my kids. I do not get dressed up. I do not go to meetings. I do not commute. If you want to hop on a zoom call fine, but I promise I am not what you expect your web developer/graphic artist to look like. I enjoy breaking that stereotype. I look more like a member of Hell’s Angels than I do business owner. Don’t dress for the job you want, just talk like it.
Pricing:
- https://www.quinnconcepts.com/the-retainer
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.quinnconcepts.com/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/quinnconcepts/
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/quinnconcepts/
